The Beauty of Balance with Emily Thrasher & Elizabeth South

March is a month known for recognizing the value and talent of women as teammates, friends and family. Something that I find so encouraging and striking about Co-Alliance is the number of women in leadership roles at this cooperative. No longer are females invited to the table to take notes, they’re making crucial decisions at this company and sharing a piece of the pie. We found this to be an optimal time to visit with two of our finest.
 

Some of our most memorable conversations through the Cultivated podcast happen when we think to ourselves, “This is not where I saw this conversation going.”

That was this week on Cultivated, when we sat down with Elizabeth South, Vice President & General Counsel, and Emily Thrasher, Crop Nutrient Manager. These two have very different and quite vital roles in our farmer-owned cooperative.

And while they’re key components to our business, in our conversation they each reveal that the most important title they hold is that of mother. Five children between them, they’re intentional about how they handle the delicate balance (is there such thing? Listen to hear Emily’s take) between home life and work life.

Emily was raised in a duck blind in the plains of Kansas. She claims – that thought not raised on a farm - she’s always been comfortable in a male-dominated agricultural world because she spent many years in the diner with her dad and his fellow hunting friends shooting the….you know. She’s always had a seat at the table.

Elizabeth was raised in the heart of the Co-Alliance footprint, a barrel-racing Hancock County gal from the start. Perhaps that’s where her grit and ability to stay calm in not-so-calm situations was developed.

Elizabeth and Emily each were raised with a strong bond to their fathers.

Yet during our conversation, both speak of the remarkable lessons learned from their working mothers.

Elizabeth’s mother owned an interior design business (wouldn’t you love to see her work?) and Emily’s mother was a controller for a large bank in Wichita. It was how these preceding women tackled careers and home that Elizabeth and Emily were inspired to do the same.

Perhaps the most interesting turn these conversations took was when the guests were asked what keeps them up at night. Believe me – it’s not what you think.

This week on our blog we share with you photos of unique characters you’ll hear referenced in their stories:

Emily as an avid hunter, Kansas State Wildcat jumping into energy before she gets into ag, today a well-respected manager and a mother.

Elizabeth as a barrel racer, law school graduate, finding fulfillment working litigation in a power suit and mostly as a mother.

We invite you to listen to this month’s podcast, The Beauty of Balance with Emily Thrasher & Elizabeth South: